Car-coupling



(No Model.)

S. COLEMAN. GAR COUPLING.

INVENTOH fwd w zw/ad A TTOHNEYJ UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SANFORD COLEMAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,984, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed June 8, 1895. Serial No. 552,123. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SANFORD COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of said invention, 4

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, and practice the same.

My invention relates to an improved latchpin device for locking and releasing the movable knuckle that forms the coupling member of car-couplers of the J anney type; and it consists of the detailed construction and arrangement of the parts, substantially as hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the couplers in engagement. Fig. 2 is a front View of one of the couplers, the j awbeing thrown open ready for engagement. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of one of the couplers taken on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the locking-bar.

Let A represent the draw-bar, and B the coupler-head. This coupler-head is of the Janney type, having the hinged coupling member C with its rectangular tailpiece D. This tailpiece swings into a recess 0 in the coupler-head, and is locked in position to fix the coupling member in its locked position. From the under side of the coupler-head I make an opening, which passes upward into the head and enters the recess which receives the tailpiece D of the coupling member, and this opening also extends upward into the coupler-head above the recess, but does not extend to the top of the coupler-head. In this opening I place the 1atch-pin II, which is represented at Fig. 4, so that it can move up and down in the opening. This pin has a loop h in its lower end, into and through which the short end of a weighted lever K passes, the lever being fulorumed in a lug, which extends downward from the under side of the coupler-head, in position to allow its short end to enter and move in the loop-hole. This weighted lever keeps the latch-pin in a norlower end of the notch against which the tailpiece D strikes when the coupling member C isv forced to the locking position, and the pressure of the tailpiece against the inclined face of this lug forces the pin downward and raises the weighted lever until the notch 71 is brought in position to allow the end of the tailpiece to pass through the notch behind the pin,after which the weighted lever drops and lifts the pin, so as to imprison and latch the end of the tailpiece.

At the upper end of the notch on the inner side of the pin, is a lug s, which projects downward and inward, and its lower face is inclined so that when the locking-pin is lowered by the raising of the weighted lever the lug will strike the tailpiece at the instant the notch is brought in position in front of it, and the inclined face will force the tailpiece outward through the notch and thus free the coupling member.

The lockin g action is automatic, as the mere closing of the hinged member will throw the tailpiece into engagement with the lockingpin, and it will be firmly held until released. This releasing operation is performed by lifting the weighted arm of the lever, and the parts are thereby disengaged. This construction renders this style of car-coupling a positive coupler in all climates, as it has no opening to become filled with water, snow or ice. All the openings are protected, and the coupler is rendered reliable and certain.

Having thus described my invention, What tion terminating in an outwardly-projeating In testimony whereof I have hereunto inclined lug and its upper oppositely-inclined signed my name in the presence of two witedge 01' portion terminating in an inwardly nesses.

projecting lug having a lower inclined face, SANFORD COLEMAN. and the Weighted lever for holding said lock- Witnesses:

ing-pin normally elevated, substantially as FRED C. HART,

set forth. CHAS. J. ARMBRUSTER. 

